California Gym Supports Women through “All Seasons of Life”

Like many of us, Mikilah Speer found CrossFit, fell in love and started competing in the sport, eventually becoming a Level 1 coach. Five years into CrossFit she became pregnant with her first child in 2015 and immediately noticed something that concerned her. “I really noticed the gap in the industry and lack of information for prenatal and postpartum exercise, specifically prenatal training in the CrossFit world,” said Speer, now a mother of three. “Even my doctor didn’t really know how to guide me. He told me, ‘just keep doing everything you have been doing,’ which I now know is wrong.” This planted a seed in Speer’s head, one that led her to become a BirthFit Coach and open a female-focused gym—FemFit in Redding, CA—that dedicates itself, not only to prenatal and postpartum fitness, but to women more generally. This content is available exclusively to Members Become an member and start enjoying full access to all our community and sports content, and an ad-free experience. PROMO Exclusive content Ad-Free web/app experience Comments on articles Exclusive 15% WIT discount $1 per month for the first 4 months, $8 each month after Get Started for $1 Exclusive content Ad-Free web/app experience Comments on articles Exclusive private Facebook Group Regular coffee breaks hang outs Exclusive 15% WIT discount Get Started $5/month billed annually Already a member? Log In. Speer’s Story: Because her doctor wasn’t able to provide her much fitness feedback when she was pregnant, Speer largely navigated her own journey, doing her best to listen to her body. “Maternal instinct is a real thing, even in early pregnancy, and I knew deep down that I needed to change my training to accommodate my changing body, so I started (doing) my own research,” she said. At the time, there were seven other women at her CrossFit gym who were also pregnant, so Speer decided to start a MommyFit class, where they could support each other on their fitness journey through pregnancy. The class took off and gained popularity. “I knew this was my calling,” said Speer, who is not only a BirthFit coach, but also a birth and postpartum doula and has her masters degree in education. So she began training women out of her home gym for a year before opening FemFit in 2021. FemFit details: Today, Speer and her coaching team support women through pre-conception, prenatal, postpartum, healing from loss, perimenopause and menopause, “all seasons of life,” she explained. They also offer educational workshops with pelvic floor therapists, self-defense specialists, as well as a hormone health class. Further, Speer and her coaching team pay close attention to the female cycle, offering coaching to support both the higher and lower-energy periods in a women’s cycle, she explained. “Women can have healthier, easier periods by syncing training with their menstrual cycle. This also helps with preconception as well. Many women are not able to get pregnant or not cycle because they are overtraining,” she said, adding that she also coaches women through the journey of coming off birth control. She added: “We teach women to adjust their training based on where they are at, (which) teaches women to truly pay attention to their bodies…We are not biologically designed to go 100 (percent) all the time and especially in every workout, and at FemFit we’re teaching women to honor that within themselves.” One big thing: Though you might think a gym devoted to women only might make it hard for Speer to gain enough clients, Speer said the opposite is true. “Having a clearly defined niche has definitely helped us. I took a risk charging a much higher price point than most gyms in my area and that took some extra time to build clientele because we had to build our reputation first as well, but I knew in my heart that’s what we were worth,” she said. As a result, it took Speer just a few months to hit the 100-member milestone, and today, a year-and-a-half in, she has 150-plus members. The big picture: Though Speer is doing her best to educate women through pregnancy and motherhood, she said she still sees a huge gap in the care women receive in the traditional healthcare model, making her role as a coach even more impactful. “The majority of women are not being seen by their doctor, after birth, for a six-week check-up. Often it’s a simple phone call, which is unacceptable,” she said. Being “underserved” is a trend Speer said she has noticed women experience in all walks of life, which is exactly what she is trying to change at FemFit. “When I found CrossFit, I felt included in the weight room, and I felt empowered lifting heavy weights. I knew it was something I wanted to continue to share with other women. I knew it was a feeling that we all deserve to feel,” she said. And to Speer, helping women feel this way has nothing to do with making a “girl power statement” or being anti-men. It’s simply about creating an environment that “truly serves women,” she said, adding that it’s this attitude that has contributed to her quick success. “Going into it with the heart and passion to serve women in the way they deserve to be supported should be the driving force. Women want connection and genuine support, and if you build a gym based on that, you’ll succeed,” she said.

California Gym Supports Women through “All Seasons of Life”

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